was the memorable occasion of a 2-4 win in front of 7,000 plus away fans at Hullsboro. An exciting, dynamic owner with a team that played in a style that matched, led by a manager who instilled a 'never knows when they're beat' attitude and thus creating an incredible bond with the fans. If you'd told me then what we'd have now - top flight football in front of 15k crowds and taking 500 fans away to a local derby - then I never would've believed it. RIP Hull City.
It's difficult to look back and understand how we have become the club we are. When the owners started their shenanigans I made the point, often against strong criticism, that although protest was necessary, it would also prove to be futile. I don't think I was too far wrong - but believe me, I wanted to be wrong, but I knew the nature of the beast. Money, greed and arrogance, added to control and power abuse, means that our owners can and will continue to take what they want, when they want from our club. They have no regard for supporters or the football club, just the bottom line, the business. My answer has always been zero tolerance, zero meetings and zero collaboration until there is a start to the postive undoing of the harm they have inflicted on the club. The new poster campaign is public and honest, just a pity it's taken so long coming. Meeting with the two latest Allem puppets is neither wise or constructive. These two have come in with their eyes wide open and don't need the Trust to tell them which way the wind blows.
Can you remember when Pearson used to meet the fans and have a Q and A was it once a month? Those where the days!
Pearson used to bring great transparency, maybe too much at times. He used to come on Humberside regularly and made everyone feel a apart of what's happening.
Ah yes, the club bar at Tadcaster Albion. Always an enjoyable hour in the company of a focussed but engaging leader. Hard to see the current lot being capable of replicating that, even if they wanted to.
I promise not to blather on about the book I'm writing too much (honest), but I've interviewed about three-quarters of those involved from a Hull City perspective from that night now (including the manager and the chairman). When we get to that night in the interviews, you can still sense the excitement and awe they feel when recounting that game, even people like Peter Taylor and Nick Barmby, who'd hit heights elsewhere earlier in their careers. It means every bit as much to those who played in it as it does the fans, believe me. To a man, they all attach great importance to that night too, and what it meant not just for that season, but for Hull City's longer term prospects. As a fan, if you strip away the outer context of any game (thus ruling out games such as Yeovil, Cardiff, the three play-off games in 2008, etc...), it's a toss up between this match and the Arsenal 2-1 as to what my favourite ever City game is. And Barmby's volley... just wow.
Bloody hell, 10 years. The second game was Cardiff at home when we won 4-1 and that was the start of our turnaround under Brown. The start of that season must have been ****, but I still look back on that period really fondly for some reason.
The Leicester 1-0 away win in which Bridges scored the the 3-2 at Southend after Ash was sent off were brilliant nights. Haven't enjoyed an away win as much as those two for a while.
For me it is Arsenal every time. We went to Wednesday hopeful of a win, we went to Arsenal as the longest ever odds offered for a Premier League game up to that point (23-1). When the line-ups were announced we thought Brown had gone mental naming Geo, King and Cousin and when we went 1 down we all expected an avalanche. Just an amazing, amazing day. My 2nd and 3rd best City league games ever were both in Sheffield - the 2-4 vs Wednesday and the 3-2 loss vs The Blunts. An amazing day out considering we actually lost in injury time but that game had everything, including probably the best vocal support I have ever seen (heard?) from City, even at 2-0 down.
Can't argue too much with that. The only thing that Wednesday has going for it, perhaps, is that I came away from that game wondering what we could achieve, knowing it could be something quite special. I came away from Arsenal feeling that we'd never be able to match that achievement. Both great feelings, don't get me wrong, but the former just shades it for me. That said, the only time in my life I've ever thought that my eyeballs were going to explode based on what I'd just seen was when Cousin's header went in at the Emirates. But then, away night matches in winter (when we win) are always a wonderful thing.
I believe some SWFC turnstile stewards are now resident on Necker after that 2004 game. Don't disagree with owt that's been said, but felt it needs to be said that supporting a winning team is easier than supporting a losing team. Don't know how many we'd have taken to Borough for example if we'd have had different owners.